More Than Words
by bigbagofweird
Summary: LL. Takes place during 'Luke Can See Her Face'. Luke handles the revelation differently.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Many thanks to Jewels for the wonderful beta!**

MAN ON CASSETTE: _Whose phone calls or visits are never unwanted or too long? Do you see her face? Who would you most like to have in your life to ward off moments of loneliness? Do you see her face? When you travel, who would make your travels more enjoyable? Do you see her face? When you're in pain, who would you most like to comfort you? Do you see her face? When something wonderful happens in your life -- a promotion at work, a successful refinancing -- who do you want to share the news with? Do you see her face? Whose face appears to you, my friend? Whose face?_

Luke's eyes become as big as saucers at the constant image flashing in his head. After he swallows the enormous rock that has lodged in his throat, he lets out a, "Whoa."

He wonders what the hell he is supposed to do about this new realization. He knows that the feelings have always been there. He also knows that it has always been her, but the knowledge was suppressed. Now her name is blazed across his mind in a glaring neon sign blinking relentlessly. If he was honest with himself, he would be able to pin his failed marriage on this revelation. He subconsciously compared every woman to her. There were many times since he had known her, that he could have acted on his desires. He could blame his hesitancy on only one thing. Fear. But his fear of being lonely for the rest of his life now outweighed his fear of acting on what he knows he wants.

The question that remains is what does he do with this knowledge? Does he push it back to the recesses of his brain like he has done so many times before? Or does he act like a man, grow a pair, and actually go after what he undeniably wants?

"Gotta think of something," he says to himself.

He tries to busy himself around the apartment as his mind goes a mile a minute. All of the sudden he stops what he is doing, because an idea has formed in his head. He thinks about all the times that Rory and Lorelai sat in the diner, trying to make life changing decisions, leaving everything to the fate of their pro/con lists.

He walks over to his desk, grabs a piece of paper and a pencil, and sits down at the kitchen table.

"Okay." he says as he writes 'pro' on one side of the paper and 'con' on the other. At the top of the page he writes '_Should I tell Lorelai?'._

He works for a while, and thinks he has come to some conclusions. One side of the list is a lot longer than the other. As he ponders what he has written, he hears a knock at the door.

"Come in," Luke yells.

"Uh, Boss, we are getting pretty busy down there." Cesar says.

"I'll be right down."

"Good answer," Cesar says gratefully on his way back down.

Luke takes his list, folds it up, and places it in his shirt pocket before he heads downstairs.

He hears Lorelai before he sees her.

"Where is my coffee provider?" She shouts impatiently as she makes her way to the counter.

"Do you have to be so loud that the entire town hears you?" Luke asks gruffly.

"How would I get you to give me the attention I need if I wasn't so loud?" Lorelai returns, winking at him.

"I can think of better ways for you to get my attention," Luke mumbles.

"What was that? I know I couldn't have heard you right."

"Nothing. Coffee?" he says trying to change the subject.

He places the cup in front of her and promptly fills it up. He watches in fascination as she takes a sip, closes her eyes, and moans in ecstasy. He quietly releases the breath he didn't know he was holding.

She looks up at him with a coy smile. "Did that get your attention?" she says as her smile gets bigger.

Luke feels his face heating up, and is sure that his face will be bright red if he doesn't get out of there.

"Umm, well gotta...gotta go stock." Or hide, he thinks.

Luke turns around to escape so fast that he trips over his own two feet. Unbeknownst to him, his list falls out of his pocket onto the floor. He picks himself up and races into the storeroom, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. He hears Lorelai laughing in the diner and yelling after him, "That was graceful!"

Within moments, Lorelai notices a folded up piece of paper on the floor. Curiosity gets the better of her as she slides off her stool to retrieve it. She doesn't know why she feels compelled to open it; thinks that it's probably just Luke's shopping list. But then she thinks that there is probably something hidden within the contents that she can mock him with later. When she unfolds the paper, she reads what is written at the top of the page.

"Tell me what?" she whispers.

As she reads on, she realizes it is a pro/con list. She sees that he wrote the cons in the first column. Most likely, she figures, to talk himself out of doing the pro list.

Cons: ruin our friendship (in big block letters), could get hurt, doesn't see me that way, can't lose her, and could hurt _her_. She notices that the pro list is considerably longer, and smiles a touch at the discovery.

Pros:

-makes me smile even when she is irritating

-enjoy being around her

-like to take care of her

-obviously beautiful inside and out

-chemistry between us

-could be great

-brings me out of a funk

-need her in my life

-makes me a better person

-wanted this for years

-could enhance friendship

-accepts me for me

-look forward to seeing her everyday

Need I write more?

After she gets through reading, she sits at the counter dumbstruck. She feels as if she has been hit over the head with a sledgehammer.

With the paper clutched in her hand, she gets up, and grabs her purse. She slowly walks to the door in a daze not sure how her legs are carrying her. Once she gets outside in the fresh air, her legs get the strength they need to get home fast.

Inside the safety of her home, her mind starts working again.

"I can't believe this." she mutters.

Lorelai reads over the list again pacing the living room. She wonders why this is so shocking to her. Is this really such a surprise? There has always been an attraction. They have had many intense moments over the years. Luke has been such a mainstay in her life that she has never wanted to risk their friendship in fear that she will lose him. She has really never had conclusive evidence that his feelings were any stronger than friendship. She has always pushed any of her feelings to the back of her mind. Now, because of this list, they are flooding in at a rapid pace. It is almost overwhelming.

She goes to sit on the couch, and thinks maybe she should make her own list. So she flips Luke's list over and writes at the top _Does Lorelai want Luke to tell her?_ She then writes pro on one side and con on the other just as Luke did. She quickly scribbles her thoughts down.

Once she is finished, she looks over the list. She notices, like Luke, there are more reasons for than against. She sits there thinking about what she wants, and what to do with the list. Her stomach starts to grumble waking her from her trance. She looks at the clock realizing that she never did eat when she was in Luke's last and now it's dinner time. But she can't return to the diner without some sort of plan of action. In a matter of seconds, a bright smile lights up her face and she shouts, "That's it!" She quickly writes something at the bottom of the page, folds it back up, grabs her purse, and runs out the door.

Halfway to the diner, she stops and has a minor freak out gesticulating wildly and arguing with herself. If anyone saw her, they would want to check her into the nearest psych ward.

Slowly, she settles herself down and continues on to the diner. When she finally gets there, she stands in front of the door staring in trying to get her nerves under control. 'Now or never' she chants, taking a deep breath and walking inside.

When Luke hears the bells jingle, he turns around to see who it is, and is surprised to see Lorelai.

As their eyes meet across the diner, he can tell that she is nervous about something. He thinks that _he_ is the one that should be nervous. He has something important to decide. He pats his front pocket just to reassure himself that his decision helper is there. Swallowing hard, he pats it again, panicking when he can't feel anything. He puts his fingers in his pocket trying desperately to find it, but to no avail. He glances around the floor, still unable to locate it. Looking wild eyed, he sees Lorelai plopping down at the counter.

"Did you lose something?" she asks with a knowing smile.

"Just a piece of paper. No big deal," he says with a look that contradicts what he just said. "What can I get you?"

"Coffee. Please."

"Anything else?"

"Hmm...yes, I am hungry now that you mention it. What am I in the mood for?" she asks herself out loud.

"Only you can answer that," Luke grumbles.

"Well, I guess I'll have a cheeseburger and fries. Make it fast, burger boy."

Luke rolls his eyes and walks toward the kitchen.

Lorelai waits until he is out of sight, and she runs around to the other side of the counter. She searches for the perfect place to put the list. She wants him to be able to find it quickly. She decides to put it under his rag since she knows he'll be wiping the counter in a short amount of time. With a smile and a skip, she goes back to her stool.

With Luke's delay in the kitchen, she finds herself starting to worry if he will find it. She starts having an internal argument with herself on whether that was the smartest place to put the list. What if someone else finds it? What if something gets spilled on it and the words run together? What if it gets thrown away? Just as she is about to reach for it, Luke returns from the kitchen and sees her look of frustration.

"Is something wrong?" he asks with concern.

"No. Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you look like you're about to have a meltdown."

"I'm good," she says with a forced smile.

Not completely convinced, he says, "Your order will be right out."

He decides to wipe the counter to cover his nerves and his worry over the missing paper. As he picks up the rag, the list comes flying out from under it. Luke picks it up, and examines it. He sighs with relief when he sees what it is...although, it looks different to him. He doesn't remember writing on both sides of the paper. He sticks it back in his pocket thinking that he'll have time later to give it a more thorough going over..

Lorelai witnesses his every action. She smiles to herself, and decides to leave before he reads it.

"On second thought, Lukey-poo, can I have my order to go? I have a ton of inn stuff to get done."

"Don't call me that," he says with annoyance. "I'll pack it up."

Luke brings her the order, and she gets up to pay him. On her way out, she turns to look at him, and says, "See you later, Luke."

He just stares at her retreating form. Other customers try to get his attention, but his mind is on Lorelai and the list.

"Cesar, I'm out," he yells as he bounds up the stairs.

He storms into his apartment and whips out the list. With his heart racing, he unfolds it, and looks at the side he wrote on. When he turns it over, he sees Lorelai's handwriting. He reads what she wrote at the top, and decides he better sit down before he passes out. He collapses onto the couch, taking a moment to compose himself before he continues reading. He scans her con list and notices that it says pretty much the same as his. The one noticeable difference is she wrote: _would be disappointed if he didn't tell me_. He reads through her pro list and marvels at the length of it.

Pro:

-my solid rock

-wonderful friend

-my Mr. Fix-it

-maybe the perfect man

-greatest coffee

-hot stuff

-so sweet

-there when I need him

-there for Rory

-cares about me

-cares about Rory

-be miserable without him

-makes me smile

-always glad to see him

-could be the real thing

-compliment each other

-makes me a better person

-I "see" him

-out of denial

He sees she wrote something at the bottom of the page. It says: _The truth is in the lists. What are you waiting for, big boy, an engraved invitation? Your move._

_**tbc**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I want to thank my amazing beta, Jewels, for all her help! Thanks to sosmitten for her help with the timeline and to all the others that answered my questions.**

Luke sits there grinning. _'Can this really be happening?'_ he wonders as his smile becomes more pronounced.

He is so caught up in his daydreams that he doesn't hear Jess walk in the apartment.

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?" Jess comments with a smirk.

The sound of Jess' voice wakes Luke out of his state of euphoria.

"Jeez! Do you have to sneak up on people like that?" Luke grumps. "You need to wear a bell."

"I wasn't sneaking. You're the one sitting there looking dopey, oblivious to everything around you," Jess snarks.

Luke looks at his watch. He realizes with a sigh that he'll have to wait to talk to Lorelai.

"As much as I would like to continue this conversation, we need to leave for the bachelor party," he says with an eye roll. "I need to do something really quick before we go. Give me ten minutes."

"I'll set my watch," Jess sarcastically returns.

Luke rushes downstairs, grabs the freshly baked boysenberry pie and sticks it in a box. He rips a page from his order pad and jots a note.

He hurries out of the diner with the pie and note in hand and walks briskly to the Crap Shack. He figures she's home since the jeep is there so he quickly creeps up the porch steps. He places the pie with the note tucked in by the door. He knocks on his way down the stairs so he can escape before she answers.

Luke hopes that move is sufficient for tonight. Unfortunately, family responsibilities make it impossible to do much more until after Liz's wedding. He would love nothing better than to spend his time pursuing Lorelai now that he has the green light. The fact that she even wants him to make a move is inconceivable to him.

Grasping the knowledge that he could soon be in a relationship with the woman that he has yearned for is impossible at best. He wonders if a higher power has orchestrated this whole thing. Has everything from his buying the self-help books to Lorelai finding his pro/con list been fate? He doesn't really believe in fate, but with all that has transpired what else could it be? After all these years, why now?

Overwhelmed with thoughts, he decides to concentrate on what he _has_ to do. He has to grab Jess and get to the club for a fun filled night of obnoxious people. At least there is mocking potential.

At the Crap Shack, Lorelai answers the door. When she heard the knock, she thought it was Sookie or Michel since they were due at her house to work on inn stuff. She is quite surprised to find an empty space staring back at her. She scans her yard and sees no evidence of any life forms. Then something catches her eye. There is a box sitting in front of the door. She picks it up and grins right away knowing who it's from. Going back into the house, she perches herself on the edge of the couch.

"What do we have here?" She rubs her hands together in anticipation. Seeing the note, she pulls it out. Her heart starts thumping as she reads.

_Lorelai,_

_What kind of move are you looking for? Probably a grand gesture and not a humble pie, but this move will have to do for now. There is so much we need to discuss, and amazingly, I, monosyllabic man, am looking forward to it. Liz's wedding is Saturday so I have to deal with many inane activities which is what I am doing now. I will fill you in later. Just know that I am thinking about you. Enjoy the pie._

_Have a good night._

_Luke_

Lorelai sighs as she opens the box. "It sounds like this is really bad timing for both of us," she mutters to herself.

As she rises from the couch to go get a fork, she hears a knock.

"Lorelai, we're here," Sookie calls out as she walks through the door.

"Hey, guys. Come sit down. I'll be right back," Lorelai says walking into the kitchen. "Pie for anyone?"

"I have already had all of my calories for today," Michel insists.

"Fine. More for me," Lorelai says. "Sook?"

"I'm good. Thanks, hon."

"Well, I need it to fortify myself for all the work we need to accomplish," Lorelai reasons.

"What is this, Lorelai?" Sookie asks as she picks up Luke's note.

"Oh, nothing," Lorelai says hastily while grabbing it out of Sookie's hand.

Sookie arches her eyebrows in question.

Lorelai knows that if she explained the note, Sookie would ask her a million questions and say '_I told you so'_. She isn't ready for that yet. At least not until she and Luke are able to speak about things.

"How about we get to work. The test run is right around the corner," Lorelai remarks. "So much to do, so little time to do it."

Some time later Sookie picks up on Lorleai's distracted state and asks her outright, "Is there a specific reason you are distracted?"

Lorelai glances at Sookie who is smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Huh?" she responds casually.

"You heard me. You're distracted, and I want to know why," Sookie commands.

"What do you mean I'm distracted? I'm sewing pillows here. I need to concentrate."

"You aren't bothering us with your incessant chattering which also leads _me_ to believe that you are distracted," Michel states.

"You _are _uncharacteristically quiet, and I have a theory on why you are distracted." Sookie continues.

"A theory on why I'm distracted?" Lorelai asks curiously.

"Yes. I think it has something to do with that note that you want me to know nothing about."

"I'll tell you what else is distracting, this inane conversation," Michel mutters.

Ignoring Michel, Lorelai responds to Sookie instead, "Well, Sook, since you have a theory, why don't you enlighten me."

"Okay. I know that note was from Luke. I saw his name signed at the bottom, and who else would bring you your own boysenberry pie? I think you have seen the light. You have finally realized what we have been telling you for years, and he has finally gotten off his ass and done something about his feelings."

Lorelai can't help from blushing during Sookie's speech. "You think you have it all figured out don't you?" she quietly asks with a teasing smile.

"I'm not positive, but I have a good feeling."

"Well, we'll soon see how smart you are. But for now, I think we should call it a night. I'm pretty exhausted," Lorelai says with a sigh. In agreement, Michel and Sookie follow her to the door. "Thanks for the help, guys."

"Anytime, hon. Have a good night, Lorelai. Bye, Michel." Sookie waves as she exits onto the porch.

"I suppose I will _have_ to see you later. Good night," Michel says, closing the door behind him.

Lorelai presses her back to the door. _I really need to talk to Luke, _she thinks. She can't concentrate or get her work done. She is constantly thinking of the one man that could change her life. If truth be known, he already has.

She decides she needs to do something. Since she doesn't know when he will be back tonight, she wants to reciprocate his kind gesture. What could she do? Luke isn't a fluffy kind of guy. He is a manly man. Would he mind something sentimental? She has something that she's certain he'd be interested in seeing. She isn't sure why she kept it all these years. Although, it is very captivating. She used to sit and stare at it. Now she wonders why something like that couldn't have helped her realize her feelings sooner. Rachel had given it to her with a bunch of Dragonfly pictures, and she put it away for safe keeping. She vividly remembers when Rachel first showed it to them. Luke looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She chuckles, remembering about what he'd said about it. Well, more specifically about _her_.

She runs up to her room, gets down on her hands and knees beside the bed, and pulls out a box. Inside the box she finds what she is looking for. She studies the picture running her fingers over the two of them. She and Luke are gazing at each other with a look of...something. She isn't sure that she can pinpoint the correct words to describe it. It was definitely one of their most memorable "moments."

She quickly finds a large envelope to accommodate the picture and scribbles a note to put inside. She slides her shoes on and leaves for the diner.

Walking up to the diner, she sees Luke and Jess in conversation. She is not sure if she should hand it to him or wait until he's out of sight to leave it. The decision is taken out of her hands when he notices her there.

She watches as he walks to the door and comes outside.

"Hey. What are you doing out so late? I figured you would be working hard on inn stuff."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to give you this," she says as she hands the envelope to him.

She can see Jess smirking at them from the diner.

"What is this?"

She winks at him, "It's my move."

"Are we playing a game of chess now?"

She smiles mischievously as she walks closer to him, rises on her tip toes, and leans into him so her mouth is close to his ear. She grins when she hears him gasp.

He shivers at her closeness and the feel of her breath on his skin.

"If games are what we are playing, chess is not quite what I had in mind."

"Good to know," he whispers. With her that close, it's an effort for him to even breathe, let alone speak.

He feels her soft lips graze his cheek as she moves away from him.

"Wait until I am out of sight to open it," she instructs him. Now I need to get to bed since you have pointed out that it's late. Enjoy your company." She smiles bashfully at him. "I _will_ talk to you later."

She turns and walks away with a slight wave.

Once she fades away into the distance, he turns to walk back into the diner.

"What's going on there?" Jess asks.

"Something good. I hope," Luke responds softly.

"It's about time."

"You can say that again."

"It's about time."

"Shut up," Luke says as he hits Jess upside the head.

"Hey!"

Luke laughs as he walks up to the apartment.

He plops in the leather chair and starts to open the envelope. Pulling out the contents, he is surprised by what he finds. He wonders how she got a hold of this. He examines the picture of Lorelai and him at the Firelight Festival years ago. He can see what Rachel saw. There is an obvious attraction between these two people. It reminds him of what Rachel told him to do, and it took him years to tell her. Although, he really hasn't told her yet at least not officially.

He reads the note..

_Luke,_

_I like the small moves not the grand gestures. The humble pie was perfect. A girl likes to be wooed. _

_I bet you're shocked to find this picture in my possession. Rachel gave it to me with a stack of Dragonfly pictures. I have kept it in a safe place all these years, and I think now is a good time for it to come out of hiding. _

_That's one handsome couple don't you think? They gaze at each other as if there is no one else in the world that matters. _

_I wonder why it took me so long to see._

_Do you still think my eyes are symmetrical? Haha!_

_Talk to you soon._

_Lorelai_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to Jewels for her patience and guidance!**

The next morning, Luke knocks on Lorelai's door. He stands there nervously shifting from foot to foot. He hopes that he is not too early.

He hears, "I'm coming. I'm coming," faintly through the door.

The door swings open and there appears a very surprised Lorelai...in her robe. A very short, thin robe which accentuates her long legs. Luke has to force himself to look away.

"Luke. It's early. What are you doing here, besides gawking?" she says with a smile, "Come in. I was just getting ready to head over to the diner."

"I'm glad you're up. I have something to give you, and to ask you," he says as they walk into her living room.

"Oh?" she says with curiosity. She notices that he is carrying a box.

"You need to get dressed first."

"I do?" she asks glancing down at herself.

"Yes," he shakes his head emphatically, "I can't talk to you dressed like that."

"May I ask why? I mean it's not like I'm naked. I have never answered the door naked, and I don't usually walk around my house naked. Although, I am naked under-"

"Would you stop saying naked?" he interrupts, "I can see _way_ too much skin, and I can't concentrate on why I'm here."

"Why are you here again?" she teases, trying to distract him.

"Just go get dressed. I'll wait here," he commands while planting himself on the couch.

"Okay. Okay. Don't get your underwear in a wad," she says, turning around to walk up the stairs.

Luke watches her and can't help admire the way the silky robe clings to her body. He can't even begin to describe how amazing her legs look.

Lorelai can feel his eyes on her and with her back to him she asks, "Do you like what you see? Should I swing my hips a little more?"

Startled out of his reverie, Luke's only response is, "Uh."

He turns bright red, and he can hear Lorelai laughing upstairs.

Luke listens to her chattering away as she gets ready, but can't really hear what she is saying. He wonders if the woman ever stops talking. He would like to be given the chance to find out.

After a few minutes, Lorelai comes down fully clothed. "Is this better?" she asks gesturing to her jeans and t-shirt.

"Much," he says relieved.

"You know, I don't mind if you look," she states with a sidelong glance.

"Duly noted."

"Now can we get down to business?" she continues wanting to see him turn red and squirm, "Although, it would have been easier to get down to business with me in the robe."

He decides to ignore her and not let her get a rise out of him, "Um," he starts off nervously. "Well, I want to give you this." He hands her the box that he has been holding in a death grip.

"A present for me?" she asks, bouncing up and down like a little girl. "Let's see what it is." She opens the box and sees a floral head wreath with long dangling ribbons.

"It's beautiful," she says sweetly. "What's it for?"

"Come with me to Liz's wedding on Saturday."

"Are you _finally_ asking me out on a date?"

"Yes, I want you to come with me as my date," he says with more confidence than he is feeling.

"I would love to be your date. It's a renaissance theme, right? Hence the floral wreath."

"Yes, but please don't dress too crazy."

"I will dress just crazy enough. You know that if this is a date, there are certain expectations," she says creeping closer to him.

"What do you mean?" he says noticing her close proximity.

"Kissing, Luke. Usually, kissing is expected," she responds as she leans into him. "I think we should practice now so that we aren't so nervous on our date."

"That's probably a very good idea," he whispers as they stare into each others eyes.

They stand very close to each other. Their heads are tilted, poised to lean in. Their lips are so close that they can feel the warm breath of the other waft over them. Their hearts are racing. But they wait, unable to be the first to move closer, trying to absorb this amazing moment. Just as he decides he can't wait any longer, they hear the phone ring. They jump apart as the spell is broken.

"I guess I'll get that," she grumbles.

"Yeah, I better...I think I'll just go. Bye," he says running out the door.

She sighs as she picks up the phone and grumps, "You better have a good reason for calling right now."

"Well, I'm glad to talk to you too, mom," Rory replies.

"Sorry, sweets, you kind of interrupted something."

"Interrupted something?" Rory questions.

"I have a date," Lorelai says with enthusiasm.

"You have a date? With whom?"

"A guy you know," Lorelai says becoming nervous. She isn't sure how Rory will react to the 'who'.

"A guy I know, huh? Can you be any more vague?"

"He is a really great guy, and up until recently, I didn't realize he had feelings for me."

"Why are you trying to convince me? Do you think I won't approve?" Rory asks.

"I don't know. There was a time when you said I couldn't date him, but I really, really want to," Lorelai says seriously.

A light bulb goes off in Rory's head. _Duh_. "Mom, that was a long time ago. You don't need my permission to date this guy. Besides, I think he's great too," she continues, "Are you seriously just now figuring out that he has feelings for you?"

Relieved that Rory seems to be fine with the situation, Lorelai says, "There has always been something there, but I never knew for sure. So you're all right with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I want you to be happy. This has definitely been a long time coming. So he finally asked you out, huh?"

"I am going to his sister's wedding with him as his date," she says giddily. "What am I going to wear?"

"Something fabulous," Rory says looking at the time. "Shoot, I have to run to a final. We'll talk later. I want details!"

"Okay, hon. Talk to you later."

Lorelai hangs up the phone and smiles. She is very happy that Rory approves. She can't wait to tell her the whole story about how this...thing with Luke evolved.

She walks over to the box with the wreath and looks inside. She picks it up and decides to try it on, and as she does, she finds a note underneath the headpiece.

Opening the note, she reads:

_Lorelai,_

_At this point, I hope you said yes to my request. I hope I am not going too far out on a limb to assume you would. _

_I can't begin to explain the shock I felt at seeing the picture of us. I really wasn't sure what happened to it after Rachel left. I would agree with you that they are a very nice looking couple. I would like to see more pictures made of them in the future. _

_Rachel had a very specific request when she left, and I failed to fulfill it. The reason for that was a mix between timing, and the fact that I'm an idiot. Rachel left, because she saw that I had feelings for someone else. Yes, that someone is you. She told me not to wait too long to tell you. Three years isn't too long is it? _

_I look back at everything that has happened over the years, and I wonder if the time it took for us to get to this point was needed to prepare us for each other. I don't want this to be a casual thing._

_I think your eyes are more than just symmetrical. I think they are beautiful like the woman who owns them._

_Looking forward to our date._

_Luke_

Lorelai sits down staring off into space dreamily. Who would have thought that Luke, her gruff diner man, could be so romantic? She thinks that he is probably right about the timing. Most likely, if he had asked her out sooner, she would have been spooked. She wasn't ready for permanent. They could have lost their chance. Now, at least, they have a solid friendship to build something on.

Her next goals are to compose a letter to Luke, get to the diner for some coffee, and try to figure out how to continue where they left off before the phone rang. She also wants to come up with a solution to get him to relax. His notes are so open, but he is a nervous wreck around her. Maybe the kissing will help. She's certainly willing to give it a try.

She gets a piece of her Hello Kitty stationary out, sits at her desk, and writes. "Who says letter writing is dead?" Lorelai says to herself with pride as she puts it in an envelope, and writes _Luke_ on it.

She grabs her stuff and scurries off to the diner. She is so intent on her destination that she blindly runs into someone.

"Hey, watch it!"

Lorelai looks at the person and immediately starts apologizing. "I'm so sorry, Gypsy. I wasn't paying any attention. Are you okay?"

"That's obvious. Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Just don't let it happen again, Lorelai," Gypsy warns, pointing a finger at her.

"I'll watch where I'm going from now on," Lorelai says with a glint in her eye. She knows Gypsy's bark is worse than her bite, at least with some people.

"You better," Gypsy says continuing on her way.

Lorelai chuckles as she approaches the diner. She walks in, drops her stuff on the counter, and plops down on 'her' stool. She looks around the diner, wondering where Luke could be. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him emerge from the kitchen.

He spots her right away, and makes his way over to her.

"Hey. Coffee?" He asks, happy to see her. He reaches underneath the counter, and grabs a mug to set before her, and fills it.

"Do you need to ask?" Lorelai wonders.

"It was kind of a rhetorical question."

"Do you think we can discuss something upstairs?" She asks looking him in the eyes.

"Sure, go on up. I'll tell Cesar," he says suddenly nervous again. _Get a grip, Danes_.

With mug in hand, she hops off the stool, and makes her way upstairs. She stops at the apartment door, and jiggles the door knob to see if it is unlocked. The door swings open, and she walks in. She sets her mug down on the table and hears Luke come up behind her. She spins around to face him.

"We have some unfinished business," she says boldly.

Luke swallows hard. "We do?"

"Oh, yes." she walks close to him. "I think we were right about here."

"Uh huh," Luke sputters, feeling her breasts up against his chest, and her arms go around his neck.

His head is suddenly pulled forward, and his lips meet hers. She applies pressure, and he can feel himself finally relax as he responds. He grabs her waist with one hand moving her even closer, and gradually trails his hand up her back into her hair. He feels her tongue on his lips, and he opens his mouth to her. The sensations that encompass him are unrivaled by anything else. He feels as if he has been awakened. No other kiss has ever affected him this way.

As they stand there, their bodies practically melding, they are unaware of anything else. Their kiss seems to last forever with both parties giving and taking. Their hands start roaming, and then they hear someone clear their throat behind them. They slowly pull away from each other, neither one wanting to relinquish their hold on the other.

Luke slowly turns around and sees Liz.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Cesar said you were up here," Liz says with a knowing look.

Lorelai composes herself and responds, "No problem. I have to get to the inn anyway. There is so much to do to get ready for the test run. See you both later." She slips the note out of her pocket, hands it to Luke, and kisses him on the cheek before she rushes downstairs.

"I told her she was your type," Liz gloats.

"When was this?" Luke says still flustered.

"The last time I was here. I thought she was your wife."

"I don't think I want to know."

"Nah, probably not. I knew there was something going on with you two. I felt a vibe. I am never wrong about these things."

"Did you need something, Liz?" he says, trying to get her off the subject.

Sometime later, after Liz leaves, Luke is finally able to process the kiss and read her note. The kiss was amazing. There aren't enough words to describe the surge of emotions he felt in that one kiss. He definitely wants to repeat it many times.

He opens her note chuckling at her choice of paper. It says:

_Luke,_

_How could I not say yes? We can be out on a limb together. How does that sound?_

_I talked to Rory, and her response was that this has been a long time coming. She is all for us. I was relieved, considering, a few years ago she forbade me from dating you. She said I could date Al. Of course, that was not at all appealing. Her argument stemmed from the reality that I stink at relationships. Does that fact scare you? She was afraid that if we dated and broke up, we would have nowhere to eat. Now, she just wants me to be happy._

_Rachel really wanted you to tell me? That was very classy of her. Aside from my jealousy, I really enjoyed talking to her. Yes, I said I was jealous. _

_I don't think you are an idiot. After all, we are in this place discussing our feelings at least on paper. Hopefully, moving forward. Three years has given us enough time to get to know each other better. We can skip a lot of that dating nonsense._

_I know you will probably fight me on this, but I am going to get you to dance with me at the wedding. You may wonder how. I have my ways._

_Fare thee well, _

_Lorelai _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I want to say a special thanks to Jewels for being such a wonderful beta! I would not have been able to complete this story without her!**

On the morning of the wedding, Lorelai wakes up in nervous anticipation of her first date with Luke. She can't believe that she can put date and Luke in the same sentence. She has missed him so much the last few days. Their lives have been so chaotic.

Luke has been busy with meeting the demands of his sister for the wedding, and Lorelai has been wading through her to do list for the inn. They have barely seen each other, their conversations consisting of food orders and quick, polite chitchat.

Lorelai is thankful that the notes have continued despite the busyness. She looks forward to this bright spot in her otherwise hectic day.

One particular day, along with his note, Luke sent over to the Drangonfly a framed copy of their Firelight Festival picture. A frame that he made. It was beautiful. On the back he wrote: _The only things in life you regret are the risks you didn't take_. _ I want no regrets_. _I am willing to risk it all._

Lorelai put it in her office, and she couldn't stop grinning the rest of the day. Of course, Sookie figured out something huge was happening between Luke and Lorelai, and she made her business partner tell all. Squealing and jumping ensued.

The kiss has not been repeated to Lorelai's dismay. She has been dreaming about the moment since it happened. Although, reality is much better than her dreams. The kiss was one of those curl your toes, knee collapsing kind of kisses. It was something she has never experienced with anyone else. She felt a spark ignite and travel throughout her body. Every nerve was on fire with desire with just that one kiss. She wonders what would have happened if Liz hadn't interrupted them.

Luke is supposed to pick her up late afternoon, so she decides to go into work for a couple of hours to get a few things done, leaving plenty of time to return home and make herself beautiful.

As she walks into the Dragonfly, she is greeted by an irate concierge.

"Lorelai, thank God you have _finally_ come in. Please tell this...creature that we cannot accept such a tacky floral arrangement. We did not order it for the inn," Michel sneers, gesturing to the flowers that Kirk is holding.

"I already told you. They are for Lorelai, not the inn. Sign this," Kirk says shoving a clipboard at her.

Lorelai signs her name, and hands the clipboard back to take the flowers from Kirk. She begins to walk away, but hears Kirk clear his throat.

"Yes, Kirk," She says without turning around.

"Please don't concern yourself with a tip. Luke gave me enough money for the delivery and tip. Why is it that Luke is giving you flowers?" Kirk asks. Wanting to not only satisfy his own curiosity, but also to possibly be the first to get the biggest scoop the town has had in a long time.

"Goodbye Kirk," Lorelai says continuing on her way. She knows that he is digging for information, and is not willing to give him any.

Once she gets into her office, she closes the door, and sets the vase of flowers on her desk. She looks at them admiring their beauty. It is a simple arrangement of white Calla Lilies with accents of pink and purple.

Lorelai eagerly looks around the flowers trying to locate the note that she knows Luke wrote. She finally sees it nestled in the flowers and gingerly removes it. She slides the note out of the envelope and reads it.

_Lorelai,_

_Our date is in a few hours. I am looking forward to seeing you, and actually having a conversation that consists of more than ten words._

_As much as I have enjoyed our letters, I prefer being in your presence more. Your smile brightens my day, and I find myself coming out of funks when you're around. You have this amazing ability to make everything better by just stepping into a room. _

_Even though I give you a hard time about all the talking you do, I secretly enjoy hearing your chatter. I realize how much I miss it when it isn't there._

_When the wedding is finally over, I plan on helping you with whatever you need done at the inn to alleviate some of your stress. I am quite handy to have around. No, I don't mean that in a dirty way._

_Until later,_

_Luke_

Lorelai feels downright euphoric. She delights in the giddy feeling she has whenever she contemplates the future with Luke. She has never before been in a relationship with a man that she can completely see herself having the whole package with, and they have barely gotten started. She was never able to discern the future with any other man, because the view was always obstructed. But with Luke the path is clear.

She thinks, _On a clear day you can see forever_.

Lorelai sighs and quickly decides that she needs to accomplish something if she is going to enjoy tonight. She would rather just sit in her office reread the note, stare at the flowers, and think about Luke. However, duty calls.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Luke, unfortunately, is dealing with a problem, and his name is TJ.

Luke is trying to keep a serene attitude, but is having a hard time controlling his thoughts of pulling the 'air pants' up over TJ's head. He could kick himself for offering his apartment as the place that TJ could get ready.

As Luke gets ready, he wonders how tonight is going to go. Will Lorelai expect him to hold her hand? Is he allowed to kiss her whenever the mood strikes? Are they finally going to be able to have _the talk_?

He doesn't worry that she is going to run, because he knows partially what she is thinking from her letters. He is only concerned that his feelings for her are stronger than hers for him. He realizes that, although it is soon, he has _very_ strong feelings for Lorelai. He doesn't want her to be overwhelmed by that. Yet, he considers that this is eight years in the making. He isn't sure how much he should reveal now.

His desire is to be with her completely. She is it for him. Whenever he considers his future, he has tunnel vision. All he can see is her. He wants...no, needs this to work, and he will do everything he can to have an open channel of communication with her. Thankfully, the notes have enabled them to start off this relationship with candor.

With that last thought, he looks at the time and decides he should probably walk over to Lorelai's to meet her.

Approaching her house, he tries in vain to get the pesky butterflies under control. He knocks on her door and waits with a concerned look on his face.

He gives himself a pep talk.

"It is just Lorelai. She's your friend, and you have successfully spent time with her before."

All of the sudden, Lorelai is standing there before him. She is a vision in her floral dress that is somewhat in keeping with the theme, but not terribly fruity. He notices with a smile that she has the floral wreath nestled in her hair.

"Hi," Lorelai says reaching to give him a hug.

As he becomes enveloped in her arms, he hugs her back and is instantly at ease.

"Hi," Luke returns. "You look fantastic."

"Why thank you, kind sir. You don't look too shabby yourself."

They look at each other from the safety of the others arms, and Luke is compelled to lean in for a kiss.

Lorelai is only too happy to oblige.

The kiss begins like a slow dance, but soon tongues become involved and the heat turns up several notches. Luke finds his right hand in her hair, and his left holding her tight against him. He feels Lorelai's arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He decides that if he doesn't pull back now, they may never leave.

He reluctantly moves away from her.

Breathlessly, he looks into her eyes and says, "I missed you this week."

At the moment, her only response is a huge smile that reaches her eyes and illuminates her face. Luke wonders if anything could be more beautiful.

"Shall we go?" he asks gesturing toward town.

"Yes, we shall," she says finding her voice.

Once they are down the steps of her porch, Lorelai grabs his hand and leans on his arm as they walk into town.

She is amazed by how natural this feels. She thought it would have been a harder transition going from friends to...what are they? She doesn't know for sure what title to give them. She guesses they need to talk about that too.

Each absorbed in their own thoughts, they silently walk to the town square where the wedding is being held, and take a seat.

Lorelai looks around at all the decorations.

"They certainly transformed the square into a renaissance extravaganza," she declares.

"Liz went all out, and I did more than my fair share of the work," he says in an exasperated tone.

Lorelai squeezes his arm and whispers in his ear, "You are a good man, Charlie Brown."

He shivers from her close contact, and looks at her with a smile. He feels elated sitting here with her. These happy, fluffy feelings he's been having aren't anything he is too familiar with, but he knows he likes them. He wants them to continue.

As the music starts, he takes her hand and grins at her.

"Let the mocking commence," he says with a smirk.

After the ceremony, they walk over to where the reception is set up to find their seats. Their faces hurt from all the laughing they were trying to stifle.

They hear "Lucas! Oh, Lucas!" being yelled into the crowd.

Luke groans, knowing exactly who is trying to find him.

"Quick. Hide me," he says in a voice near panic as he glances over his shoulder. "Too late," he sighs, defeated.

Crazy Carrie approaches Luke, giving Lorelai a once over.

"Butch, your seat is over here next to me," Carrie tells a red-faced Luke.

"What do you mean next to you? I have a date," he says incredulously.

"I thought you two were just friends so I set _her_ on the other side of me next to TJ's brother," Carrie says in her most flirtatious voice. "I was in charge of seating so I thought I would rescue you from her incessant talking, and give us a chance to reaquaint ourselves, if you know what I mean."

"You did what? You don't even know Lorelai," Luke exclaims.

"Oh, I _know_ her," Carrie says with disgust.

Sensing that Luke is going to go into full blown rant mode and make a scene, Lorelai leans into him and says soothingly, "It'll be okay. We can make the best of this situation with a little ingenuity."

"I don't think it's possible," Luke says through clenched teeth, but allows Lorelai to pull him over to their table to sit.

"Quick, hand me your pen," she whispers to him before she sits down.

"Why do you _always_ assume I have something to write with?"

"You don't?" she asks.

"I do, but just because I take orders doesn't mean I keep a pen or pencil with me at all times when I am not taking orders," he states.

"Well hand it over."

"What are you going to do with it?" he wonders.

"You'll see," she remarks with a wink as she takes her seat.

They sit there and listen as Kirk gives instructions for the buffet line. Their table is in line second to go through, so they wait until they see Liz and TJ's table finish before heading over to get food.

Luke feels Lorelai put something in his pocket. He cocks his eyebrow at her in question.

"Don't take it out until we get back to the table," she says quietly.

They move through the line and fill their plates with food.

Lorelai notices that Luke has very little on his plate and comments, "That's all you are going to eat."

"You'll eat enough for the both of us," Luke says knowingly.

"Hey!" Lorelai says hitting him in the chest.

Luke chuckles.

Back in their seats, Luke takes out the napkin and the pen Lorelai shoved in his pocket. It dawns on him what she is planning to do with their unpleasant situation. Having two people in between him and Lorelai, is not what he had in mind for this date.

He opens the napkin under the table trying to be discreet.

He reads:

_Not ideal, huh? Are you sure you don't want to go for Carrie? She seems really into you. Heheh! Although, she may suffocate you with those boobs._

_I'm looking forward to that dance!_

_L_

Luke takes the pen and jots his reply. He contemplates how he is going to get it back to her.

He decides to distract Carrie when he sees that Lorelai has engaged TJ's brother in conversation.

"So Carrie, where is your husband tonight," he says turning towards her. As she replies, he tries to maneuver his arm behind Carrie without touching her. He reaches out toward Lorelai with the pen and napkin hoping Lorelai will see it.

Lorelai notices movement behind her dinner companion, and realizes that Luke is awkwardly trying to pass her the note. It falls right behind TJ's brother's chair.

"Great. I forgot my drink. I'll be right back," Lorelai says to no one in particular.

She gets up, quickly bends down to retrieve the items, and walks toward the drinks.

Alone at the drink table, she glances at the napkin.

_NOT funny! She is called crazy for a reason._

_This stinks._

_I never said that I would dance with you._

She giggles and uses the table to write her reply before walking back to her seat.

As she passes Luke, she brushes her hand against his shoulder and drops the stuff in his lap.

She hears him snort from her seat, and knows he read it.

She wrote:

_I thought it was funny._

_You will dance with me and enjoy it. I told you I have my ways. _

_Think about it. Dancing will get you away from Carrie._

After they have finished eating, Luke gets up from his seat and walks behind her.

"Can I get you some dessert?" he asks leaning over the back of her seat guiding the pen and note into her hand.

"Sure, a big piece of cake is exactly what I need," she says smiling up at him.

"Be right back."

His note says:

_You're full of threats, but have no follow through. I am interested to see what ways you are talking about. I can think of a few things that would make me agree to dancing._

Luke comes back with her cake and sets it before her. He sees the note on her lap and curls it into his hand. He reads the note walking back to his seat.

_Wait and see._

Kirk announces that the dancing is open to all couples, and Luke waits to see what Lorelai is going to do.

"Dance with me, Luke," Carrie says leaning close to him, practically shoving her bosom in his face.

"I'll pass," he says with repulsion turning his head away from her.

"I'll get you to dance with me yet, Butch," she says, standing up to find another victim.

"Over my dead body," he mumbles.

He glances Lorelai's way and sees her just sitting and grinning. He wonders what is going on in that devious mind of hers.

He watches as she moves slowly his way. She takes his hand pulling him up off his chair, and leads him away from the crowd.

"I thought you were going to get me to dance. Where are we going?" he questions.

"Somewhere quiet," she replies.

"Okay."

She leads him over toward Miss Patty's.

"I thought we could have our long awaited talk now since we are alone, finally," she says, walking to a bench. She can hear the music wafting over to where they are.

"Uh, sure."

"So, I guess I'll start," she says, pausing to collect her thoughts. "I know we have communicated a lot through writing, but sometimes you just need to hear things straight from the horses mouth."

She looks at him, and he nods for her to continue.

"You're my best friend, and there is no other person that I feel safe enough with to give my whole self to. You put up with all my quirks and insane behavior. You know me better than anyone, and yet you still like me which is astonishing really." She takes a breath and resumes, "To me you are my Aragorn. I would willingly and freely give up my immortality just to be with you. My life would be incomplete without you in it, and I cannot begin to tell you how glad I am that we are in this place right now," she says waiting for some response from him.

He sits there in stunned silence. As her words soak into his brain, his reaction is to put his hands on her face, and pull her lips toward his. He puts every ounce of emotion he is feeling in thet kiss, and she feels it overwhelm her.

She pulls back and whispers, "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

"Byron?" he asks.

"Bergman," she replies.

"Of course," he comments getting up to pace. "I suppose it is my turn. I have wanted this longer than I can remember not wanting it. At some points of time, it may have only been in my subconcious, but it was still there. I guess, I never thought you could ever see me as the guy for you. I mean, look at you. You are stunning and vivacious, and I am grumpy and cantankerous. The one thing I do know for sure is that you make me a better person. You have the ability to make me do things that no one else can do. I want this more than I want my next breath."

"Well, it's kind of hard to have this," she chuckles gesturing between them, "without breathing. What is this, exactly?" she asks after a moment.

"It is a relationship. One that, hopefully, will be the forever kind."

"Who knew Luke Danes was this sweet?" she declares.

"Don't let it get around."

She snakes her arms up around his neck, pulls herself flush against him, and says, "It will be our little secret." She kisses him softly. "Are you ready for that dance now?"

"Here?"

"It's private, and we can still hear the music."

"Wait a minute. I thought you were going to use your feminine wiles to lure me into dancing with you," he says giving her a challenging look.

"Oh, you mean like this," she says as she begins to kiss his jaw. "Or this." She journeys down to his neck and starts nibbling.

She feels Luke swallow hard.

"That will do it," he says huskily. "Let's dance."

They glide around the grass enjoying being in each other's arms. They are secure in their own little world.

They aren't aware that they're being watched. And have been for the last few minutes.

Finally, Miss Patty decides to make her presence known.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here? I didn't believe Carrie when she told me that you two snuck off, but now I have seen it with my own eyes," she says. "You look awfully cozy out here all alone."

Luke and Lorelai just stand there staring at her. Neither one is sure how to respond.

"Liz is looking for you, Luke. She needs your help with something."

"Luke, I probably should get home anyway. Please, tell Liz best wishes for me," Lorelai looks at Luke and says. "We _will_ continue this later."

"Let me at least walk you home," Luke says cursing Liz for her timing.

"If Liz can spare you a few extra minutes," Lorelai says looking at Miss Patty.

"You two go ahead. I'll let her know you will be back in a few."

"Thanks, Patty," Luke says as they walk off in the direction of the Crap Shack.

Luke grabs her hand. He loves being able to touch her. He just wishes that he wasn't so dependable, because he would rather spend his time with Lorelai than helping Liz.

"Well, I guess it will be all over Stars Hollow by morning that we are together," Lorelai states.

"Probably, but I don't really care."

"Me either."

They reach her house and climb the steps.

"Will I see you in the morning at the diner?" Luke asks.

"Rory and I will be there with bells on."

"I had fun. We can talk later about our next date."

"Sure thing," she says kissing him on the cheek. "Good night, Luke."

"Good night, Lorelai," Luke responds.

Luke watches as Lorelai walks into her house and closes the door. It takes every ounce of energy he possesses to drag himself off her porch and back to the reception.

Later, after everything has been torn down and cleaned up, he wearily heads back to his apartment. Walking up to the door he sees an envelope taped to the glass. He takes it off, walks in, and falls on the couch. He smiles when he sees her familiar handwriting.

_Luke,_

_Despite the seating snafu, I had a wonderful time. _

_I am so happy that we had that talk. I already know that this is going to be different than any other relationship I have been in. It is going to be good, really good._

_I want you to know that I am in this completely. I can't wait to see what's in store for us._

_I don't think I properly thanked you for the flowers. Remind me to do that later. They were perfect!_

_I was thinking about the lists we made that started this amazing journey. They were more than words written on paper. They are the truth...they are everything._

_Sweet dreams,_

_Lorelai_

Luke thinks that his dreams are going to be sweet indeed.

**If you liked the story, bid on me at the Support Stacie Author Auction. You can get your very own customized story. It is for a wonderful cause!**


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